“It would be the world’s thirteenth largest economy — bigger than South Korea, Sweden, and Saudi Arabia. But its worth would crater precipitously, after NAFTA rejected it and the United States slapped it with an embargo that would make Cuba look like a free-trade zone.

Indeed, Texas would quick become the next North Korea, relying on foreign aid due to its insistence on relying on itself.Â

On the foreign policy front, a seceded Texas would suffer for deserting the world superpower. Obama wouldn’t look kindly on secessionists, and would send in the military to tamp down rebellion. If Texas miraculously managed to hold its borders, Obama would not establish relations with the country — though he might send a special rapporteur. (We nominate Kinky Friedman.)”

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Comments

Lin Lofley

Yeah, but what are the downsides?

Lin Lofley

That was a joke, people.

Avid Reader

That might make sense if NK also was able to produce enough food for their citizens, had current technological advances available to all citizens, installed a democracy, had a population that is allowed to be educated, and of course were sitting on some of the most wealthy energy reserves in the world. Other than that, totally makes sense.

mynameisbill

Hasn’t anyone here seen the movie ‘Invasion USA’? Yeah, I think Chuck Norris is more than capable of handling his own. The real question would be “what if Chuck decides to take more land other than Texas?”…..would the United States be able to stand an invasion of Norris? It’s not Aztlan that we should fear, but Chuckistan.

Everlasting Phelps

This bs makes me wonder if anyone is actually reading the petition. It’s a petition for the US to PEACEABLY ALLOW Texas to secede.

Then again, given Obama’s foreign policy so far, it wouldn’t surprise me if he invaded texas immediately following a peaceable secession.

Everlasting Phelps

Never mind, the linked article is from April. Way to be timely, front burner.

tonyajayshawn86

read your Constitution on the consequences of secession of the United States
Here are just a few of the consequences that would come with secession:

-Texas would have to create its own military.
-All federal spending sent to Texas would be cut. This includes everything given for schools, hospitals, highways, etc.
-Texas would have to create its own currency and national banking system.
-Texas would have to regulate trade and commerce with other countries.
-The Texas Legislature would likely have to act as Congress.
And you would be considered a foreigner even Americans abroad are required to file taxes with the IRS even if they don’t owe the U.S. any money. Some foreign residents may even still owe state taxes. To make matters worse, U.S. citizens who renounce their citizenship are subject to a one-time exit tax of 15% on the fair market value of all their assets less their basis costs. Giving up a U.S. passport doesn’t get someone out of paying any back taxes.

Seceding from the union also presents all sorts of practical problems for states. Texas, which many Texans are quick to point out was for a brief time a foreign country, is a case in point. Do the 65,000 or so residents of the Lone Star State who have signed the petition believe that the U.S. would just hand over tens of billions in assets such as interstate highways, military bases and border crossings without anything in return? It’s doubtful.

David Hopkins

Are hypothetical scenarios about Texas seceding so in flux that April 2012 makes the news outdated? My hypothetical scenario involves Willie Nelson and Matthew McConaughey as part of the executive branch, not Chuck Norris. Please.

Daniel

Phelps,

April 2009, actually. It’s totally irrelevant to the current state of affairs — at that time, talk of secession was merely a cheap political stunt; it was often styled by its blog-commenting proponents as “succession.” Well, that part hasn’t changed, I guess.

Anyone can start a petition, it would appear — a petition to have a cute, rotund Chinese child on television whose catch-phrase is “Whatchoo talkin’ ’bout Wirris,” a petition for waffle trees in Yellowstone National Park,, a petition to make that carry-an-egg-in-a-spoon thing an Olympic Event (and make no mistake, the U.S.A. still has a lot of pull in these matters), a petition to declare a National Pork Rinds Week, or if one already exists, to change it so it coincides with my birthday, and if it already coincides with my birthday, to change it so it lasts an entire month. This is why we live in the greatest country on Earth.

tonyajayshawn86

Like i said let them go, that will put a real dent in the deficit, no federal aid or contracts ,just do not see a foreign country in the UNITED STATES , so what i want to know is where there going and when . BYE BYE texas

tonyajayshawn86

If these idiots want to go” let them”, that will put big dent in the deficit No Federal Aid or Contracts and yeah i just do not see us letting a foreign country stay right in the middle of the UNITED STATES. So i just want to know where they are going and when they leaving.

ftheusagovnmnt

Wouldn’t take long to develope a federal cartel such as Mexico has already adopted..another thing I can tell you right now with as many people as we have (Texas) if ANY state,foreign agencies,military was to invade they would be answered swiftly you think that just because we may be outnumbered 20 to 1 we wouldn’t fight back ….don’t they always say history repeats itself this will be another modern day ALAMO we would not take it lightly and what new country wouldn’t struggle to smooth out the rough edges we have to figure it out ourselves its better than being under a government that wants to make you a SLAVE …RFID anyone March 17th 2013….the days of slavery are OVER and people will not tolerate that type of nonsense anymore come protest in our streets to not sucede…read earlier a man tried that in a city (the column wouldn’t specify) and was nearly killed…so as I said I would WELCOME a secession and then a invasion We would NOT take it laying down as many of you think..